Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Now I have the body sewn and the lower hem done.
I drew and cut out the lining pieces for the neckline and the armcye.
I sewed the pieces together, ironed the fusible interlining and serged one side.
I prepared the straps: I folded a long rectangle and sewed it at one long and one short side.
I put a needle in and turned the strap inside out.
I ironed it for the seam to be in the middle of the strap.
I sewed on the lining pieces (right side to the right side of the waistcoat) and ironed them to the wrong side. I sewed on the armcye lining along the edge.
I pinned the straps on and fitted this on me.
When the result was satisfactory, I marked the positions with a thread. I ripped out the stitched here and drew the straps through these holes under the lining.
You can see the straps have the angle drawn with chalk on them.
I resewed the ripped part, with the straps between the neckline and the lining.
I'd made a bra with one strap. Now I sewed one strap of the neckline that's been left long to the bra in the front and at the back
The bra is supported with one strap of the neckline at one side and with its own strap at the other side. This one is hidden under the waistcoat's shoulder and secured there with this little band I sewed on the seam allowances.
I sewed on the neckline lining along the edge as well and for the neat fininsh I sewed the seam allowances of the neckline and armcye to all the vertical seam allowances.

Saturday, 26 March 2011

New season calls for new fireshowcostume.
The concept is this: everyone has wide black trousers and a waistcoat of chosen colour, with slanted lower hem and a individual neckline.
I took a dress pattern from Burda, cut the lower part out, left out the sleeves and drew the shape of the neckline.
I prepared it for the fitting - I basted all the vertical seams.
The top fitted quite well, so I sewed these seams as well. The tricky part is always the tip of a tuck. It must be sewed carefully and slightly curved. The threads are tied in hand in this case.
The lower hem is just folded and sewed on. Before I could do it, I had to make the corners.
I folded the seam allowance of the slit right side to right side and sewed at the line over the whole seam allowance.
I turned the corners over and pressed them flat.
The basic overview.
I just have to finish the neckline and it'll be done.

So the waistcoat is sewed, hemmed, what now? Fastening:-)Decorative one, in this case.I sewed a narrow rectangle around each mark. The buttonholes are quite long.I cut each one (not the stitches). Then I embroidered each one with overcast stitch.And what cotton did I use? These are threads I pulled out of the fabric!I marked the buttons opposite to the buttonholes and sewed each one on.The completed costume.

Friday, 25 March 2011

I turned the lining of the armhole right side out. I pressed the edge for the seam to appear inside the garment.I attached the seam allowances by hand. I sewed with herringbone stitch and caught only one thread of each layer. This way it shouldn't be visible at the right side.Or a machine alternative. I used it for long straight parts - the lower hem and the center-front lining.It's called blind stitch. You fold the hem under the garment. You sew at the seam allowance, at the serging and every fifth stitch goes to the left and catches one thread of the fabric.

Thursday, 24 March 2011

The fitting was OK, I just trimmed the armholes.I sewed the basted shoulder tucks (from the edge to the tip) and pressed them to the center of the back panel.I sewed the front and back pieces together in the shoulder and side seams.I serged the seam allowances and ironed them.I made the armhole lining. I traced the armhole edge on the fabric, folded the piece in shoulder and side seam and traced these too.I made the neckline linings in similar way and added all seam allowances.I ironed vlieselin strips on for the edges not to stretch out and become wavy.I sewed the lining pieces together and serged the inner edges.I pinned them right side to right side to the right places and sewed on at five milimeters.

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

I made the collar in the same way as the cuffs.Only the pattern is different.I sewed the inner part first, folded the outer seam allowance down and sewed on by machine at the inner side.The finished shirt :-)I also made the brown trousers. The same asalways..

Thursday, 17 March 2011

I had a faded blue cotton canvas, quite a heavy one. I'd wanted it for my larp/medieval dress, but now I decieded it was the right material for the pirate's waistcoat.I drew a pattern - originally it was a pattern of men shirt, I just didn't make the yoke and sleeves.The armholes look a bit weird, I hope I'll be able to fix this at the fitting.I cut the pieces out like this, so I had the chalk lines only on one side.I laid a carbon paper with the colour upwards, put the waist on it. I pressed my dot-wheel at the lines so that the carbon paper left traces on the lower layer.I basted the tucks, the shoulder and side seams.I pressed the seam allowances and let's go for the fitting!

The cuffs are composed from two parts. I ironed the mounting on one piece of each part (to the one that's closer to the hand).I sewed along the three edges of the upper parts. I cut the seam allowances to half a centimeter and turned the cuff right side out.I made a line of stitches at all the edges.I pinned one lower part to this and sewed in less than a centimeter. This compensates for basting.I laid the other lower part to the upper one and sewed through all four layers in a centimeter distance. I stopped exactly where the upper part of the cuff ends.I pushed the upper part of the cuff away and sewed perpendicularly to the first sewing. I stopped one centimeter before the end.At this point, the cuffs were ready to be sewn in. I pinned and sewed the outer cuff to the right side of the sleeve.Then I folded the inner cuff's seam allowance under and basted so that it would cove the previous stitches. I sewed over the lower part of the cuff at the right side.I marked the size of the cuff at the fitting and made the fastening.A pearly button and a hand-sewn buttonhole :)

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

I gathered the sleeves at the hand and at the shoulder as well as the front part of the neckline.I did it this way: I set the length of stitch to four milimeters, sewed along the edge, made one stitch up and sewed along the first line of stitches. Then I pulled the lower threads.I had to add gores to the armpit. I serged the gores and the sleeves first. I sewed a gore to the sleeve, brought the needle down at the corner......turned the fabric and sewed plumb to the edge of the sleeve. I also turned the tip of the gore to me before sewing.This allowed me to iron the gore like this so that I could sew the sleeves together without having any unwanted part of the triangle dangling out.I pinned the gathered sleeves right side to the right side to the body.I watched the lower edges of the sleeves to be at the same distance from the lower edge of the shirt.I sewed the sleeves in. I pulled out the upper line of the gathering and serged the sleeve and the side of the body together.I pinned the sleeves together. I payed attention especially at the starter point and the gore seam. I stopped sewing about ten centimeters from the end.This part was reserved for the cuff slit. I ironed its edges flat.I sewed the hips and pressed the seam allowances flat. I made slits here as well. I turned the lower edge right sides in and sewed a corner at the width of the seam allowance.I turned the corners to the right side and I sewed the lower hem and the slits in one operation.

Saturday, 12 March 2011

My new task - Jack Sparrow's garments:-)Not exactly this one (the waistcoat will be cut differently), but mostly yes.I prepared the shirt for the fitting - I assabled only the right sleeve as you can see:-)After the fitting, the pattern is something like this. I had to add the armpit gores for comfortable wearing.I started with the neckline slit. I sewed two strips on along the cut.I made the cut a little longer and made two cuts to the last stitches os the seams. I folded the strips around the edges, tucked the little triangles under and sewed them on the place.I folded the rest of the strips around, basted and attached them by hand.I ripped the basting out and ironed.